'I'm Going To Vote For Contra Aid' Mccollum Tells Caucus He Favors Military Help For Rebels

August 30, 1987|By Jay Hamburg of The Sentinel Staff

U.S. Rep. Bill McCollum, R-Altamonte Springs, said Saturday he will vote for aid to Nicaraguan contras when Congress gets back in session.

''The Iran-contra hearings were not on point as to whether we should have contra aid,'' McCollumn said while attending the Orange County Republican's caucus. ''I'm going to vote for contra aid.''

McCollum, who was a member of the House-Senate committee investigating the Iran-contra affair, said he would favor a plan to set aside $300 million in military aid for the contras.

If the Sandinistas meet timetables for establishing free elections, the military aid would not be used, he said.

President Reagan assured contra leaders last week that they would receive ''adequate funding until a cease-fire is in place and a verifiable process of democratization is under way.''

Also last week Nicaraguan rebel leaders offered to forgo military aid if peace efforts move forward in the country. The Reagan administration has agreed not to submit a request for contra aid before Sept. 30.

McCollum made his remarks after a short speech at the Central Florida Fairgrounds in which he castigated what he called ''San Francisco left-wing Democrats,'' who make bipartisan support for foreign policy impossible.

The Iran-contra controversy shows that ''we've got to have a bipartisan foreign policy,'' McCollum said.

He urged those attending the caucus to work hard to keep a Republican in the White House.

The caucus drew about 600 people vying for 101 delegate slots. The delegates will take part in a presidential straw ballot at the state GOP convention Nov. 13 and 14 in Orlando.

Seventy-one slots were filled by lottery and 30 were filled by the county Republicans' delegate selection committee, said county Chairman Russ Crawford.